To avoid fines, a company on the Costa Brava filled 70 swimming pools overnight. The fear of fines was not unfounded, as the region has declared a drought emergency and water restrictions have therefore been imposed.
The Agència Catalana de l’Aigua has the Begur company in its sights because in three months it has used more than 3.2 million litres of water from the municipal network to fill around 70 swimming pools in various municipalities of the area.
Violation of drought restrictions
This action goes against the current drought restrictions in Catalonia. Filling private swimming pools, both private and hotel, is explicitly prohibited there. The incident came to light when local police in Palafrugell stopped a tanker truck. It had just filled a swimming pool in neighbouring Begur. The driver admitted where he had filled the pool, leading to further inspections by police.
Night-time activities and foreign customers
The company specialises in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Investigations showed that in some cases it used water at night to fill the swimming pools of mainly foreign customers and second home owners from Barcelona. In total, the company is said to have used approximately 3,300 cubic metres of water in the last quarter, with an average of 50 cubic metres per pool.
Sanctions and measures
After discovering this violation, the local police drew up a report and initiated a sanction procedure. The company has already settled five cases, resulting in three light and two heavy sanctions. By admitting the facts and paying within the stipulated period, the company received a 40% discount on the fines.
In addition, the municipality of Begur has announced that it will install a water pressure regulator at the company to monitor consumption. The Drought Contingency Plan in Begur sets a maximum water limit of 138 litres per inhabitant per day. At the same time, the Agència Catalana de l’Aigua applies a limit of 200 litres per person per day.
